Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Navy and Marine Corps Medal

    Service:

    United States Marine Corps

    Rank:

    Sergeant

    Action Date:

    August 7, 1942

    The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Sergeant George E. Antoine (Anotine) (MCSN: 285406), United States Marine Corps, for heroism on 7 August 1942. During the unloading operations on D-Day in the Guadalcanal area, at or about 1000, in #5 lower hold, Marine Corps Tank #T-12 caught fire in the crew’s compartment and in the engine compartment. The crew of this tank had made several attempts to start the engine of this tank and had failed, whereupon the maintenance crew took charge of the tank and tried for some time (about 30 minutes). Sergeant Antoine was at the control and at the moment the starting motor switch was closed a flash of fire occurred inside the crew’s compartment burning his hands and singing his hair. He climbed out of the tank and asked for a fire extinguisher and a sailor passed him an extinguisher, at which time he re-entered to the fire and discovered the extinguisher was empty. Sergeant Antoine climbed out of the tank and asked for another fire extinguisher. By this time the belted .30 caliber ammunition in the tank had begun to explode inside the tank. Sergeant Antoine, knowing the .30 caliber was burning and exploding and knowing that the 37-mm. ammunition was also in the tank, entered the tank the second time with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. The base of the fire was found to be around the bottom of the 37-mm. ammunition boxes. The tank was lifted on deck and a part of the ammunition was removed in order to make a further inspection of the fire, at which time the 37-mm. shells were found to be warm and the coating on some of the projectiles was sticky and warm.